Person:William McConnell (53)

FACT: I1901 Type: Merged GRAMPS ID

There were several with the name William G. in the family so this William G. was known as "Big William". He was a Private in General Stonewall Jackson's Army of Virginia and he was General Jackson's blacksmith - so the story goes. Someone of his descendants showed another member of the family a picture of him and General Jackson and his horse being shod; however, the picture disappeared about 1975. Another story says that "Big William" came back home from the Civil War and cleared up some land on his father's farm. Thomas' second wife, Mary Davis McConnell, evidentally would not let him farm it so he packed up his familyand went about 30 miles south, down the Robinette Valley of Scott County and into Hancock County, Tennessee, settling on some land at War Gap. His old log home is still in good shape and is located below his cemetery on Clinch Mountain. The story goes on about "Big William", when he was near 80 years old he was rumored to have been caused to be mixed up in the Pentecostal religion by his son, Stephen Lincoln Price McConnell. "Big William" had a full white beard and he was last seen by his son Henry. Henry left "Big William" sitting on the porch sharpening a butcher knife on a whitrock. When Henry returned to him, "Big William' had cut his throat with the butcher knife. A McConnell book was written by Eugene "Wildhorse" McConnell about 1984-85, in which he told the story of"Big William". He ended it by saying, "He is buried on a bench of the Clinch Mountain in a grave marked only with a field stone. Some could have ordered a marker for him since he was a Confederate veteran." Wayne G. McConnell, Gate City, VA wrote: "I wondered why he had not or dered one for him, then went ahead and ordered it along with 15 other McConnell Tombstones. Then when we had abig McConnell Reunion in 1993, I met Jeff C. McConnell, a son of Charlie McConnell and Mollie Bellamy. Charlie and Patton were William's two sons born to him and Martha Wampler. When I told Jeff about having the tombstone but I didn'tknow where "Big William" was buried, he said he and his brother Aaron McConnell also of Spartanburg, S. C. would let me know when they would be up to help carry it onto the mountain." Wayne gave this account: "June 8, 1994, Jeff McConnell age 76, Aaron McConnell age 78, N. B. McConnell age 65, Marshall Toney age47, and Wayne McConnell age 57, cut a path into "Big" William McConnell's graveyard on top of a point in Clinch Mountain, War Gap, Hancock County, TN. We then walked the 800 plus yards back to the old homestead, picked up a 150+ pound marble tombstone and took it to the grave of "Big" William and erected the stone for him. The stone reads PVT William G. McConnell, 48 Mtd Inf CSA, 1838-1916. The death date should have been 1918. It liked to have killed us all but we got the job done and we did get the white marble tombstone put up over "Big William's" grave where it should stand, there in the woods, for another century. Some of the family make pilgrimages up to the tombstone every year, just to show the younger ones where it is. "Big William" and both wives are buried there, along with three of Charlie's children who died before he moved the family to Spartanburg, SC. His daughter, Margaret McConnell Allen, who was John Allen's wife is also buried there in the "Big William" cemetery." 1870 Census - Hancock County, TN, P. O. War Gap, District 3, pg. 5, Sheet 158, enumerated June 20, 1870. 1880 Census - Hancock County, TN